City Tech’s Newest Librarian: Ian Beilin

Interview by Prof. Bronwen Densmore
The Ursula C. Schwerin Library is pleased to introduce its newest faculty member, Professor Ian Beilin. In December, Ian took some time to answer a few questions about his life before coming to City Tech as well as some of the things he’s observed during his first semester here.
Tell us a little bit about your professional and academic background. What are your scholarly interests, and how did you come to the field of librarianship?
My first field was history. I received my PhD from Columbia and then taught European and world history for over ten years. I enjoyed doing that but wanted something different from my academic career. Over the years, various friends of mine with similar backgrounds had become librarians. They told me how rewarding and satisfying academic librarianship was for them, and recommended that I take the same path. Having worked in libraries and book stores as an undergraduate, I already knew something about that career option, so it didn’t take much convincing. I decided to go to library school, and in 2010 I completed an M.S.I.S. at the University at Albany.
What have you been working on during your first semester as a librarian here? Do you have a typical day?
One of the most gratifying things during my first few months here has been getting to know my colleagues at the library and at City Tech. The librarians here have taught me so much about libraries, City Tech and CUNY. I’ve been meeting students through instruction sessions and research consultations at the reference desk. And I’ve been teaching our three credit class, “Research and Documentation for the Information Age,” (LIB 1201). I’m also developing our collections in architecture, psychology and business, and helping to better promote the library’s services and activities for students and faculty members. I can’t say there is a typical day – variety is one of the great things about a librarian’s job. But most days include teaching and/or instruction, reference work, departmental and/or college committee work, and collection development.
What were your first impressions of life at City Tech? Were there any surprises?
City Tech is a very busy place! Students, faculty and staff always seem to be engaged with many things at once. This is especially true of the library, which is a beehive of activity during a typical day of the semester. I enjoy the energy of the place, and I’m trying to harness it for my own work and plans here.
Since you’ve had some time to settle in, do you have a sense of what things you’d like to accomplish here?
I plan on writing about the intersections between historical studies, digital humanities, information literacy, and critical information theory. I’m particularly interested in critical information literacy, which is a core component of our LIB 1201 course, the goal of which is not only to provide students with the tools and skills that they need to succeed academically, but also to acquire a greater awareness of how information and information issues affect their lives, and how information can empower them to change themselves and their world.
 
Much of my free time involves music. I love classical music, jazz, and just about every shade of rock music. I’m an avid record collector and an intensely devoted fan of the music of the 19th century Austrian composer Anton Bruckner. In general, I like to soak up as much of NYC’s cultural and culinary life as I can afford and have time for. If it’s in New York City, I’m happy to be doing just about anything! I’ve lived in some other very interesting cities – Berlin, Moscow, and St. Petersburg, Russia, and I love to travel – but I really can’t live anywhere else but here.